Pulaski soccer team caps off strong week with a pair of wins

The Red Raiders continued their terrific start to their 2023 season as they have run their record to (9-4-1) and (1-2) in Fox River Classic Conference play.

Things didn’t start the way Pulaski would have liked as they dropped a tough 1-0 contest to Bay Port on Tuesday. Michael Schreiner provided the lone goal for the Pirates, and it came just three minutes into the game.

From there, it was all about execution as the Red Raiders had several opportunities to tie things up but were unable to put one in despite several close misses. Josh Roth had a great day in goal for Pulaski as he came away with six saves in the contest, while Adam Lambert added three for the Pirates.

Looking to bounce back against the Trojans of Green Bay Southwest, the Red Raiders not only struck for a pair of first half goals, but tacked on three more in the second half to earn their first conference win of the season 5-1. When you talk about a fast start, look no further than the first half as the Red Raiders jumped in front 2-0 just three minutes into the game. Hudson Schultz (Aran Capella) put home the game’s first goal in the first minute with Nolan Pratt (Maddox McKeefry) adding the second just two minutes later.

Pratt continued to lead the way for the Pulaski offense in the second half as he added his second goal of the game in the 53rd minute with McKeefry pushing the lead to 4-0 just two minutes later. The lone goal of the game for the Trojans came in the 63rd minute from Nathan Piotrowski only to have Aidan Dauk stretch it back to four goals in the 80th minute as the Red Raiders took care of business.

Pulaski would then be faced with a tough non-conference opponent in Fox Valley Lutheran to end the week as the two of them hit the pitch on Friday. Unlike the Southwest game that saw a pair of early first half goals set the tone, it was a pair of second half goals that proved to be the difference as the Red Raiders took care of the Foxes 2-0. After both teams played to a 0-0 draw in the first half, an FVL foul in the Pulaski box led to the first goal of the match in the 49th minute as Dauk converted the ensuing penalty kick to break the deadlock.

Capella added an insurance goal for Pulaski in the 77th minute finishing off a back post cross from Brayden Carr.Jonah Drevs got the start for the Red Raiders in goal and made one save in the shutout effort. Matthew Callaway made seven saves in goal for FVL as Pulaski continues to push through their season.

Shawano splits a pair of games

Despite going through some significant injuries the past few weeks and playing without several key players, the Hawks of Shawano refuse to quit as they continue to battle every time out. This week was a classic example of that as the Hawks managed to split a pair of games this week to run their season record to 4-8-2 and 1-4 in Bay Conference play.

In their first game of the week, the Hawks hit the road to take on the fellow Hawks of Xavier and were looking to hand them their first loss of the season in conference play. You could make a case that this was one of the best overall games the Hawks played this season, but it still wasn’t enough as Xavier improved to 6-0 in conference play with a 2-0 win.

All wasn’t lost with that effort as Shawano had a chance to pick up a win on Thursday when they took on non-conference rival Clintonville. It was all about the offense in this one for Shawano as they scored a season high four goals to double up the Truckers 4-2.

Bowler/Gresham struggles

Everyone knew the 2023 soccer season would be a tough one for the Bowler/Gresham co-op team as they continue to rebuild their program. However, not many expected them to have the struggles they have had this season as a lack of offense and an inconsistent defense has led to a rough stretch that sees the Wildcats sitting at 1-10 so far this season. The Wildcats faced off against Stevens Point Pacelli/Iola-Scandinavia on Monday and then hit the road to take on Wrightstown on Thursday.